Display support



' March 8, 1966 J. BLANZ 3,239,182

DISPLAY SUPPORT Filed June 26, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

BYM QM ATTORNEY5 March 8, 1966 J. BLANZ 3,239,182

DISPLAY SUPPORT 7 Filed June 26, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

\ ATTORNEY6 United States Patent Oflfice Patented Mar. 8, 1966 3,239,182DISPLAY SUPPORT John Blanz, 209 W. Newell Ave., Rutherford, NJ. FiledJune 26, 1964, Ser. No. 378,115 2 Cfairns. (Cl. 248-223) The presentinvention relates to supports and, more particularly, to an improvedarrangement for releasably supporting a display member, such as a box ora panel.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide animproved display support which is simple and economical inconstruction.

Another object is to provide such a display support which includes aspring arrangement for releasably attaching the display member tocooperating means secured to an upright structural surface of a shelf,table or counter.

A further object is to provide such a display support wherein thedisplay member may be a box displaying merchandise in stores, holdinglamp bulbs and the like, or for containing articles in a handy place inthe home or workshop.

Other and further objects will be obvious upon an understanding of theillustrative embodiment about to be described, or will be indicated inthe appended claims, and various advantages not referred to herein willoccur to one skilled in the art upon employment of the invention inpractice.

In accordance with the present invention, the foregoing objects aregenerally accomplished by providing a display support comprising adisplay member having a rear upright wall, a strip or a pair of stripsfor securement to an upright structural member providing an upper and alower lengthwise extending channel facing each other with a lengthwiseextending opening between the channels, a

lengthwise extending upright flange on the rear upright wall fittinginto the upper channel, a spring arrangement including a middle portion,depending means fitting into the lower channel and an upwardlyprojecting portion adjacent each end of the middle portion and means onthe rear upright wall for engaging the middle portion to hold theupwardly projecting portions against the rear wall below the flange.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a rear perspective view of a display member in the form of abox having the spring arrangement there- FIG. 2 is a fragmentary rearelevational view of the spring arrangement attached to an element shownin broken line which is adapted for securement to an upright structuralmember.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 33 on FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the displaysupport attached to the end wall of a table or counter.

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 wherein the display member is in theform of a panel.

FIG. 6 is a rear perspective view of a display box illustrating anotherform of spring arrangement.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the spring arrangementshown in FIG. 6 illustrating its assembly with the element adapted forsecurement to an upright structural member.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 to 4 of the drawings in detail, there is showna display support which generally comprises a display member 10, aspring arrangement 11 and a mounting strip 12.

The display member in these views is a box having an upright rear wall14 and having a rearwardly offset, lengthwise extending flange 15 at theupper edge of the wall 14.

The mounting strip 12 has lengthwise extending upper and lower channels16 and 17 which face each other and has a lengthwise extending opening18 between the channels for insertion therein of the flange 15 and thespring arrangement, as about to be made apparent.

The spring arrangement 11 includes a wire spring 19 having a middleportion 20, depending end portions 21 which are curled upwardly at theirfree ends, and upwardly projecting portions 22 between the middle andend portions; and a strip 24 secured to the wall surface 14 hav ing achannel 25' for engaging and housing the middle portion 20 of the springto hold the upwardly projecting portions 22 against the wall 14 abovethe middle portion and below the flange 15, whereby the portions 22 arerestrained and the portions 21 are free to flex.

In use, the strip 12 is secured by screws or nails 26 to the end wall ofa table or counter T (FIG. 4), the depending portions 21 of the springare fitted into the lower channel 17, the display member 10 is pulled orpushed downwardly to cause the spring portions 21 to yield and flex in alengthwise direction, the flange 15 is fitted into upper channel 16, andthe display member is released. The spring portions now are biasedagainst the lip of the lower channel and urge the flange into the upperchannel to securely but releasably mount the display member. The displaymember can be readily detached by following the foregoing describedsteps in reverse order.

In FIG. 5, a display member 10 is shown which is in the form of a panelor plate having a spring arrangement 11, like that already described,secured to its rear wall surface. Instead of providing the flange 15(see FIG. 1) at the upper edge of the panel, a flange 27 may be aseparate lengthwise extending member secured to the rear of the panelbelow its upper edge, as is readily evident from FIG. 5.

The panel is provided with a plurality of pairs of adjacent holes 30,each being adapted to receive a leg 31 of a removable hook 32 forhanging merchandise or the like thereon. If desired, the panel may bearthe price of the merchandise or other appropriate indicia.

In FIGS. 6 and 7, a spring arrangement 11 is shown which is essentiallythe same as that already described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4,except that the depending spring portions 21 carry an angular sectionedbar having a depending flange 41 fitting into the lower channel 17, ahorizontal web 42 engaged by the lowermost part of the spring portions21, an upwardly projecting flange 44, and a right angle member 45 ateach end of the angular bar 40 connected adjacent its lower end, as bywelding, to the flange 41 to provide a loop for loosely receiving thespring portions 21 to retain the bar 40 on the spring but allowing thespring to react freely when the spring portions 21 bear down on the web42.

The spring and flange arrangement just described is connected to anddisconnected from the mounting strip 12 by following the proceduredescribed with reference to the structure shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 exceptthat the flange 41 is fitted into the lower channel 17 instead of thespring portions 21.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that the presentinvention provides a simple, practical and economical display supportwhich is useful for accomplishing numerous purposes.

As various changes may be made in the form, construction, andarrangement of the parts herein, Without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention and without sacrificing any of its advantages, itis to be understood that all matters are to be interpreted asillustrative and not in any limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. A display support comprising a display member having a rear uprightwall, strip means for securement to an upright structural member havingan upper and a lower lengthwise extending channel facing each other andhaving a lengthwise extending opening between said channels, alengthwise flange means on said rear wall fitting into said upperchannel, a wire spring having a middle portion, yieldable depending endportions and an upwardly projecting portion between each end of saidrnid dle portion and an end portion, flange means carried by said endportions fitting into said lower channel and means on said rear wall forengaging said middle portion to hold said upwardly projecting portionsagainst said rear surface, whereby said upwardly projecting portions arerestrained and said depending portions are free to flex.

2. A display support according to claim 1, wherein said flange meansinclude an angular bar having a depending flange fitting into said lowerchannel, an upwardly projecting flange, a horizontal web connecting thetwo last mentioned flanges and engaged by said depending springportions, and means at the ends of said bar for loosely receiving saiddepending spring portions to retain said bar on said spring.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS CLAUDE A. LE ROY,Primary Examiner.

1. A DISPLAY SUPPORT COMPRISING A DISPLAY MEMBER HAVING A REAR UPRIGHTWALL, STRIP MEANS FOR SECUREMENT TO AN UPRIGHT STRUCTURAL MEMBER HAVINGAN UPPER AND A LOWER LENGTHWISE EXTENDING CHANNEL FACING EACH OTHER ANDHAVING A LENGTHISE FLANGE MEANS ON SAID REAR WALL FITTING NELS, ALENGTHWISE FLANGE MEANS ON SAID REAR WALL FITTING INTO SAID UPPERCHANNEL, A WIRE SPRING HAVING A MIDDLE PORTION, YIELDABLE DEPENDING ENDPORTIONS AND AN UPWARDLY PROJECTING PORTION BETWEEN EACH END OF SAIDMIDDLE PORTION AND AN END PORTION, FLANGE MEANS CARRIED BY SAID ENDPORTIONS FITTING INTO SAID LOWER CHANNEL AND MEANS ON SAID REAR WALL FORENGAGING SAID MIDDLE PORTION TO HOLD SAID UPWARDLY PROJECTING PORTIONSAGAINST SAID REAR SURFACE, WHEREBY SAID UPWARDLY PROJECTING PORTIONS ARERESTRAINED AND SAID DEFINING PORTIONS ARE FREE TO FLEX.